It’s difficult to fathom how quickly it has gone catastrophically wrong for England on this tour. A side that arrived on Australian shores with a cool sense of confidence now find themselves lurching towards the most humiliating defeat in Ashes history.

In the space of a month, Alastair Cook’s men have gone from smug to fuddled; three crushing defeats made worse by the departure of their most dependable batsman and most reliable bowler.

That we’re already declaring the end of an era, just weeks after beginning to assess this side in relation to the best in history, shows how spectacularly England have fallen.

Yet, as the proverbial wheels continue to come off, perhaps the hidden positive in this situation for England is that this Test represents the beginning of a new chapter in the nation’s history.

With Graeme Swann gone and Jonathan Trott unsure of a return, Cook now has a chance to place his own stamp on this team; one that he essentially inherited from Andrew Strauss.

That new chapter will be hoping to be afforded a lenient beginning, as it remains unclear as to whether Australia can maintain such devastating form after reclaiming the treasured urn.